Category Archives: Nuclear

Today is the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, when an uncontrolled reaction blew the roof off, spewing out a cloud of radioactive material which drifted across a swathe of Northern Europe. The contamination reached as far as Scotland and remained until 2010. Levels of radioactivity remain high in the surrounding area. A charity, Bridges …

EDF has announced today that their Torness nuclear power station on the east coast of Scotland is to have its life extended by at least seven years. It was due to close in 2023 and will now keep delivering baseload energy for two million homes in Scotland until 2030. Torness plant manager Robert Gunn …

Big concerns over power generation in Scotland this week, with announcements on Longannet and Hunterston power stations. Those who thought the transmission charges row had gone quiet while Ofgem prevaricates, got a shock this week when Scottish Power announced that Scotland’s largest power station at Longannet may be forced to close due to the huge …

While there is no immediate prospect of Scotland getting a new nuclear power station, the Hinkley Point nuclear deal still matters to us. UK energy secretary, Ed Davey, has signed the first new 35 year nuclear contract with French state-backed utility firm EDF, backed with Chinese finance. Even Davey recognised the deal is a gamble, …

The UK government’s policy on low-carbon power generation has been criticised by the cross-party Energy and Climate Change Committee. They warned in a report that the government had “no plan B” if new nuclear plants are not built on time and on budget. Committee Chair Tim Yeo MP warned: “If new nuclear power stations are …

The Hunterston B nuclear power station in Ayrshire has been extended by seven years. This follows a technical and economic evaluation of the plant that confirmed it could operate until 2023. The power station opened in 1976 and had been scheduled for shut-down in 2011, but this was previously extended to 2016. The plant employs more than 700 …